Trustees on Tuesday voted 7-0 on the increase for the various groups, including church, community and recreation programs, to name a few, using the classrooms, multi-purpose facilities, auditoriums or any of the athletic venues.

Not mentioned but part of the changes is that at Lathrop High, where events of one to 100 people will –as of Dec. 1 for first-time users – pay an added $10-per-hour sewer surcharge while those of over 100 in attendance will cost an additional $20 per hour.

Manteca Unified has covered the bill for regular sewer hauling since the opening of the high school a year ago.

“We have not been charging as much (on use-of-facilities fees) as our neighboring school districts,” Superintendent Jason Messer said as he noted some of the reasons for the increases.

Incidentally, the most expensive facility in the district is the swimming pools at each of the high schools.

Messer indicated that cost to run the pumps along with the routine maintenance is $50,000 to $70,000 a year per pool. And that’s not counting the use of the heating system.

“We’ve turned off the heating,” he said.

Those groups currently under contract will continue to pay the same facility-use fees through June 30, 2010, Messer added.

After that, all groups – categorized as Class I, Class II, modified Class II and Class III – will fall under the new fee structure.

Class I is described as “civic center and charitable organizations where no money is charged and organizations charging admission, the net proceeds of which are forwarded to the district or a district-affiliated organization (booster clubs, parents / community clubs, student body), for the direct benefit of students of the district.”

Those under this category can have free use of facility during normal hours when a custodian is on duty.

Many of the recreational programs, according to Messer, fall under modified Class II. Cost of the swimming pool (not heated) and restrooms will come with a minimum charge of $80 for two hours and $40 for additional hours.

Class II – described as “not charging admission fees (but with) activities not directly for the benefit of youth” – and the “fair rental value” Class III groups will experience tremendous increase, with usage of the pool for a minimum of two hours, for example, jumping from $70 to $300 and additional hours after that going from $35 to $150.

Trustee Nancy Teicheira agreed with the changes but with a caveat. “I just don’t want to see anything happen to our youth sports programs because of this,” she said.

More information on the new use-of-facility fee schedule is available by contacting Manteca Unified at (209) 825-3200 or logging on to the district website, www.mantecausd.net.